Tag. {You're it.}

                
I've made it.  I've made it to the BIG TIME ladies & gentlemen (are you there gentlemen??).

Okay maybe not in "real life" but on the ol' blog anyways.

I've been tagged.

For the very first time.

     

Thanks to Claire... one of the best writers I've had the pleasure to get to know over this past year.  Authentic, witty, passionate, driven, disciplined, creative... all of the qualities you'd want to see in a blogger... in a friend.  I credit her with giving me the courage to write from the heart... to dig a little deeper (beyond what I was comfortable sharing... representing)... to find my true voice.  And beyond that, she has inspired me in so many other ways- from personal finances to personal relationships.

I may have been a little 'over-enthused' about the whole tagging bit, but if anyone is going to ask me to link up 7 of my old blog posts- there's no one more fitting than Claire.

So without further ado- here's the fine print.

What this is about:
To unite bloggers (from all sectors) in a joint endeavor to share lessons learned and create a bank of long but not forgotten blog posts that deserve to see the light of day again.

Rules:
1) Blogger is nominated to take part.
2) Blogger publishes his/her 7 links on his/her blog – 1 link for each category.

• Your most beautiful post
• Your most popular post
• Your most controversial post
• Your most helpful post
• A post whose success surprised you
• A post you feel didn’t got the attention it deserved
• The post that you are most proud of

3) Blogger nominates up to 5 more bloggers to take part.
4) These bloggers publish their 7 links and nominate another 5 more bloggers.
5) And so it goes on!
6) The site Trip Base be sharing the best posts from participating bloggers on their blog and everyday on Facebook and Twitter at #My7Links.

{here are my 7 picks}

 

1. My most beautiful post.

{Wine} Country @ heart.

   

{our little home away from home.}

2. My most popular post.
                    

Recipe Exchange- Let's Get Cooking- Butternut Squash, Sage, & White Bean Soup ... and a perfect autumn salad.

                           

{a lovely recipe... one that I strongly encourage you to add to your fall/winter repertoire.}

3. My most controversial post.

A story of acceptance... and judgement. 

4. My most helpful post.

                            

The "F" word. 

{a huge personal breakthrough.  before I started the blog, I was told that putting your heart out there sparks others to do the same... walls come down... truth comes out.  this post exemplifies this, and is ultimately what I hoped to achieve from this little place to share.}

5. A post whose success surprised me.

Enough is enough.

{the responses not only surprised me, but delighted me.}

                        
6. A post I feel didn’t got the attention it deserved.

Share & tell.

   

{definitely got the attention in terms of traffic, but I hoped more would play along!  c'mon- don't you have a favorite post you'd like to share with me?  believe it or not, I actually want to SEE! (yes... still shamelessly begging for participation.)}

                             

7. The post that I am most proud of.

The quintessential play date.

{a strange choice in a way, but my first attempt at digging a little deeper into a topic... beyond just the "happy" (not that anything is wrong with the happy, but there's a fine line between 'authentic writing' and TMI- and exploring that line can be a little scary} 

Whoa.  That was a LOT of links all wrapped up into one.  Thank you for sticking with me- in this post, but more importantly, in this past year and a half of blogging.

Now for the fun part.  I get to tag 5 others to play along!

   

I'm horrible at choosing in this way, so I took the easy way out and chose the first five commenters on yesterday's post (all 5 of my daily reads, and who I know will have 7 great picks).  Well, ladies: 

              
Tag.  {You're it.}

Jessica @ Kitchen Belleicious

Danielle @ elleinadspir

Stephanie @ Scrumptious

Leslie @ Fresh Out of Lemons

Estelle @ Under a Pink Moon